1917:
Carlo Guzzi and Giorgio Parodi meet
in the Italian Air Force and agree to start a motorcycle company after the
war.

A third pilot in their unit, Giovanni Ravelli, was
a well-known racer of the time. He would have become a Moto Guzzi partner as well, but he was killed in a plane
crash.

1920:
Built with the
help of the town blacksmith in the moutainvillage of Mandello, Carlo Guzzi's
original prototype features a four-valve overhead-cam 500 cc single-cylinder
engine mounted horizontally.

1921: Seventeen
production models are produced at the Mandello del Lario factory. Moto Guzzi makes
its racing debut in the Milan-to-Naples race. Later that year, Guzzi racing wins its first race: the torturous Targa
Florio.

1924:
After the
championship of Europe at the Monza Autodrome, the Secretary of
the International Federation wrote: "The three Guzzis. .dominated the event
virtually from beginning to end, thus proving the importance of the Italian mortorcycle industry."

1928: With the G.T. (Grand Tourer),
Moto Guzzi introduced the sprung frame. The world
was not yet ready, however and only 78 were ever built.

1930:
A horizontal
4-cylinder competition bike is introduced. In this era, all of the men at the
Moto Guzzi factory sign their hand-built engines
personally.

1955: The ottocilindri,
or 8-cylinder Guzzi debuts at the Belgian Grand
Prix. The only motorcycle of its kind ever built, the V8 proved to be a
formidable racing machine.

1957: Moto Guzzi
wins its fifth consecutive world champonship in the
350 cc class. Later that same year, the company officially retires from Grand
Prix racing after 3,000 victories and 8 world championships.

1960: Under contract to the Italian
military, Moto Guzzi produces the truck-like
3 X 3, powered by a totally new engine: the 90-degree transverse V-twin.

1965: 700-cc V7 makes its debut at
the Milan show. With it is introduced the
90-degree V-twin engine that will become the Guzzi
signature.

1967:LinoTonti succeeds GiulioCesareCarcano as chief
engineer.

1971: The V7 sport, 850 GT, and the
first California are introduced at the Milan Show.
These models were still almost completely hand made.

1973: Alessandro De Tomaso buys MotoGuzzi. He also owns Benelli,
and later adds Maserati and Innocenti.

1992: The Daytona is launched--a 100
hp bike with Guzzi's most modern styling to date.

1994: The California 1100-Guzzi's Heavyweight
Custom/Cruiser appears, available with carburetors
or fuel -injection.

1996: A re-invigorated Moto Guzzi celebrates its 75th anniversary with a production output
of 6,500 bikes. Now the longest--standing motorcycle manufacturer in Italy, Moto Guzzi
is committed to increasing production to 20,000 units in the early years of
the 21st Century.

1998: The Quota 1100 ES replacing the
Quota1000 debuts in the U.S., adding a dual purpose sport
bike to the Moto Guzzi family. At home climbing the
countryside hills as well as dodging pot holes in the city, the Quota 1100 ES
becomes Moto Guzzi's Urban Assault Vehicle.

2000: Debuting at the Milan Cycle
Show in 1997, the V11 Sport reaches the U.S. market in 2000. With it's green-red color scheme the V11
Sport is reminiscent of the legendary V7 Sport of the '60s.

Acquisition of Moto GuzziS.p.A. by ApriliaS.p.A.
.Aprilia's technology, especially in
manufacturing and logistics, quickly accelerates Moto Guzzi's
modernization of production. In turn, Moto Guzzi
not only strengthens Aprilia, but also adds
important engine production capability/capacity to the company's portfolio of
strategic options.

2001: Technology and 80 years of
tradition merge in the new Limited Edition V11 Sport RossoMandello, the Moto Guzzi
café racer.

Moto Guzzi Celebrates 80 Years of Motorcycling Excellence.

2004: The MGS 01. This track use only
bike was designed with Ghezzi and Brian. The
1,225cc engine featuring 4 valve heads produces 122 hp and 115 Nm. The bike
has tasted racing success at Daytona in the Battle of the Twins.

2005: The Breva
1100 is released. This is the first model to feature the CARC (CardanoReattivoCompatto)drivetrain design.
The system separates the shaft final drive’s torque reaction from the
suspension via floating torque arms and thereby eliminates the abruptness
typical of shaft drive systems on acceleration or throttle-release.

Later in 2005 the Griso 1100 goes on sale, this radically styled naked bike
is widely acclaimed.

2006:Guzzi
returned to "Gran Turismo" with the Norge 1200. Offering complete protection, a sophisticated
chassis and a new 1200cc twin cylinder engine.

2007: The Griso
is the first bike to receive the new 8 valve engine. The 1200cc Griso 8V produces 110 bhp.

2008: The Stelvio
1200 4v sees Moto Guzzi return to the adventure bike
market for the first time since ceasing production of the Quota.